Starved
by Chrys-DASL
Summary: When multiple incidents effect the world's food supply, a chain of events begins that puts everyone in danger of starvation. As what foods remain become more limited in number, prices rise, and soon many will face the brink of starvation. For my Disasters series.
1. Chapter 1

STARVED

CHAPTER 1

Elwood City greeted the morning with open arms. It was a beautiful summer day, and the temperature was supposed to hold just below ninety, making it much more comfortable than the scorchers they'd had up 'til now. Children planned to use their free time to visit local cool areas, namely parks with water features so they could have some wet fun. Adults planned on going to work like always, though they were already making evening plans with their closest friends. Things felt normal, and no one had any reason to think any different.

David Read put on his uniform, buttoning his chef's coat meticulously before adjusting his white and blue hat on his head. Today he was to prepare for a get together at the country club. To his understanding, a young couple was supposed to be announcing their engagement to their parents' friends at the club, and he was supposed to create the food that would be featured at the event. Roasted chicken seasoned with citrus notes, beautiful fruit salads, and grilled vegetables were the features of this summer fun menu, and as a special dessert, he would be putting together several homemade ice creams for an upscale sundae bar.

As he got into his van and started it up, the local radio station put out the news for the day:

"Breaking news out of the Midwest, where wildfires have taken hold after months of drought. Scientists warned of this months ago, and many areas already had evacuation plans in place. Most of the land is farmland featuring corn, wheat, and other staples. Preliminary reports suggest ten percent of the crops are gone."

David knew this was going to happen as well. He and his coworkers already contemplated how to deal with shortages and out-of-stock seasonal items. They always tried to have a backup plan in case something didn't work out, and he knew dealing with a corn shortage would be alright. There were plenty of other vegetables they could use for the same effect. Or they could just remove it from the menu. That often worked as well—it's not like corn was really that important.

But as the reports continued, David sensed a problem:

"In other news, the CDC has confirmed the entry of bird flu from Canada into northern chicken and turkey farms. Farmers have contained the spread to four farms in Minnesota and Iowa, but scientists are concerned about wild birds spreading the illness southward once winter comes."

David thought about all the other bird flu warnings they'd heard over the years. Swine flu, H1N1, and other illnesses joined in his thoughts. Then came the biggest thought of all—So what? None of those turned into anything major, from what he remembered, other than the egg shortage. That shot the cost of eggs through the roof, and while most of his clients forked over the extra cash to cover the difference, his own family went without eggs for months. No cookies, no scrambled eggs, no homemade pancakes from scratch, and so many other No's. They learned to cope, but the kids were unhappy to keep getting rejected when they asked for their favorite menu items.

If that was as bad as it got, David knew he could deal with it. Oh wow, a few weeks without eggs. That sounded fine. They'd just switch to powdered or not make things with eggs until they could afford them again. Their family and friends did the same. Arthur was always coming over with baked goods from Binky's mother, who practiced making egg-less items during the shortage to save money.

But the next headline, also food-related, started to make David think that maybe he was taking this all too lightly:

"And finally, Europe has announced that some of its poorer areas are experiencing famine as prices of bread rise beyond many people's means. A beetle got into their grain crop two years ago, and the shortage has now spread as Europe's grain stores reach dangerously low levels. The economic impact is beyond what poorer citizens can handle, and top leaders are concerned this famine could spread as the shortage continues."

David shook his head. Famine in Europe. That was something he hadn't heard about since he looked over a history report Arthur was doing on World War II Europe. Famine now was caused by different reasons, in this case a grain shortage that increased food costs in areas already experiencing economic difficulties.

As he pulled into work, he knew this wasn't something that could happen here. America was a hearty country, and while the poor would face difficulties if there was an egg shortage that raised costs, or a grain shortage, or whatever else, he knew people would pull together to help their own. People were probably sending supplies to help with other people's problems. That's what America did.

But as he stepped into the kitchen and noticed his associates talking with the young couple from that night's event, he sensed that something was wrong.

"So you're telling me that nothing is right because of what?" the young soon-to-be-bride asked with a harsh, emotional tone.

David's supervisor, a woman who'd been in the catering business for years, sighed, "Listen, I'm just as frustrated as you are. This is like a scene from a bad movie, this phone call. I mean, I thought the guy was really pulling my leg, taking me for a ride. David, let's fill you in," she said, noticing him standing with a stunned expression near the door.

David's assistant, Lee Anne, stepped forward, "We called the supply company when we didn't get a shipment last night or this morning. No strawberries because there aren't enough, something about a late harvest due to early frost and limited numbers. Pineapples got held up in customs and no grocery stores will sell us the fifty we need so they'll have enough for others. We've gotten canned pineapples instead, but they're in heavy syrup. We're soaking them now to get all that extra sugar out of them in time for the prep work we need to do," she said, looking down to a notepad before continuing, "The chicken is here, but the limes or lime juice is having similar problems, something about mold or bacteria or FDA nonsense. It's not coming together. Nothing is."

"Well what do we have?" David asked, smiling, "I mean, we've had to deal with problems with seasonal items before. If we have other things we need—"

"That's why I brought them in," his supervisor said, looking up to him with sad, concerned eyes, "No matter what we try, there seems to be something in the way. More money can't help us on most items. We've tried. Even the milk guy wouldn't take an extra couple hundred for more than a few gallons."

David shook his head, stunned, "Wait, there's something wrong with the milk shipment too?"

"Shortage from some bacteria outbreak with our supplier. We've sent Carlos to get a few gallons from different stores around town, even drug stores, but we can only get one per shop. Everything is in short supply, even the basics. We brought them in to tell them to hold off on the party, or just serve drinks. Or use the country club's kitchen—"

"They're having the same problem," the young soon-to-be groom sighed, crossing his arms, "I think the world is coming to the end. Even the country club couldn't help us three weeks ago, so we came to you. I guess we're all screwed though, aren't we? I mean, if grocery stores—"

"Stop, you're getting worked up," his fiancé whispered, her eyes giving away that she too was holding back tears. She looked up to David and the others, "Thank you, for everything, but we'll figure something out. We can just have a get-together without food or something, try this all again when this blows over."

When they were gone, the company decided to call it a day. David drove back home, the radio off, in his clean clothes. He put his hat in the passenger seat, wondering when he'd get to wear it again.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

Mrs. Powers sat at her desk with her head in her hands as Brain stepped inside. He'd noticed several empty spaces when he came in to start his shift, but he also noticed the sign flipped to the CLOSED side too. He needed to know what was going on, and when he entered his mother's office, he wondered if she was having another migraine.

"Mom?" he called.

"Oh, Alan, come in and close the door. I don't want anyone to know I'm back here," she said, sighing as she closed her inventory notebook. "We won't be opening for a while."

Brain squinted, "Why won't we be opening? Is there a recall on the ice cream again?" he questioned. That happened the previous summer, a listeria outbreak prompting the recall of several brands of ice cream that they tended to use. After a few days, they were able to get another supplier to provide them with a different brand. The shop was only closed for approximately forty-eight hours when this happened, not indefinitely.

"I don't know what's going on with this world, but it seems everything is crashing at once. Wheat and other grains are facing problems world-wide, as are fruits and vegetables. Now milk is being affected by some bacteria problem that spread to hundreds of dairy farms without anyone noticing. The disinfectant techniques for the cows must've stopped working as—I don't know what the article said," Mrs. Powers sighed.

But Brain understood. Bacteria changed frequently because they reproduced quickly, sometimes within seconds. When the next generation adapts against disinfectants, problems could come up.

"Wait," Brain said, thinking over what he knew about dairy farms and milking animals, "I thought they used a mix of disinfectants and flame."

His mother shrugged, "I don't know what they use. All I know is that the milk is contaminated. Grocery stores around the country are limiting customers to one gallon per week on a strict basis. You can go between stores, but operations like ours? We're screwed. And I got a call from a young couple looking to have a sundae bar at their engagement party. Not only could I not help them, but the catering company David Read has worked for couldn't help them, and neither could the country club."

Brain was stunned by this. The rich were unable to break the rules to get enough for their events. That was a first, and he knew that meant this was a serious enough problem to affect everyone.

But then he remembered his mother mentioned other problems with the food supply. Grains were affected, as were some fruits and vegetables. He knew this was a problem. He, like David Read, remembered the egg shortage and the shortcuts they used to get around using that one ingredient. His mother switched to the gluten free waffle cone recipe because it didn't require eggs, not that anyone cared for the switch. They didn't mind an extra ten-cent charge on ice creams requiring eggs in them, such as the Brownie Explosion recipe that needed eggs for both the thick chocolate base for the ice cream and the brownie chunks within the mix.

Brain looked up from his thoughts and tried to get his mother to look at him. After a moment she did, and Brain found himself asking the toughest question he'd ever had to ask, "Mom, do you think there's going to be a famine here in the U.S.?"

"They aren't saying that yet," Mrs. Powers said, pausing to swallow, "but if Europe can get hit after all these years of doing fine, then what about us? More importantly, what about the third world?"

Brain's eyes grew large as he did the math. If America, which was considered the most profitable country in the world, couldn't feed their own citizens, how in the world was a developing nation with limited resources supposed to feed their people? Tiny areas that were already self-sufficient would be fine, but areas that relied on imported resources to provide food for their people would be crushed.

This famine wasn't just going to hit America. It was going to hit the world, and take down more people than anyone thought imaginable.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

 _Two Months Later_

As Brain stepped into his fourth grade class with Mr. Ratburn, he could tell things had changed for the worse. Binky had lost twenty pounds, and while he told everyone it was because he grew three inches, Brain knew the truth.

The shortage started changing the eating habits of the area almost immediately. No more milk meant eating cereal dry, but then cereals became scarce as the grain and corn market fell. Beans became the staple of the American diet. Green beans, peas, black beans, navy beans—you name it, people were trying to use those beans to get by. They had no choice—no grain market meant a crash of the meat market. While the rice market was holding, many countries refused to export the grains to feed their own.

Besides, there were more problems everywhere, not just in Elwood City. The fish market fell as recalls took over the processing plants and farms. Prices were skyrocketing on everything, so fish farms were already at risk. Now many had gone belly-up, erasing that protein source.

Cost was a problem for everyone. Brain's mother had cut back as much as she could, causing portions to shrink. He could tell that happened to his other middle-class classmates as well. Binky, Arthur, and Francine looked so much smaller to him, even though he'd seen some of them over the summer.

The exception was Muffy, which was to be expected. At first the rich were just like everyone else fighting to get supplies. Now that there were black markets for things like milk or cereal, the rich had the advantage. Shipments that disappeared before reaching their destination were picked up by these dark characters, and rich people reaped the rewards while these criminals flourished.

It was a dark world, and Brain realized he was having a hard time concentrating, but so was Mr. Ratburn. He too looked smaller and older from hunger. Brain wondered if he even earned money over the summer from teaching for the rest of the world. If he didn't, he'd have to make money from other sources, but he knew that most of his puppet shows were free, even the ones at local theatres instead of the library.

It was too much for Brain to think about, how his teacher was making it. Besides, he needed to make it, as did his family. He needed to worry about himself and no one else, and that's how it was for everyone.

No one asked questions about how another kid was eating, even among these fourth grade classes. Even the well-fed Muffy knew to keep her mouth shut about how she was eating, and that became the new culture. After school, you could visit another's house, but no snacks were shared, and you never, ever stayed for dinner. You ate at your own house, and the menu was top secret.

The only time food was shared was in the cafeteria, not that there was much to share. Portions shrank, and the food's quality sank below what they were used to. Beans were used to make shriveled, runny hamburgers served without bread, pasta, or any other grain. No corn product could replace the bread, so more beans were served, usually in the form of a bean cake. Drinks were usually bottled water with artificial flavor packets. Arthur and the others didn't mind this part, though some of the flavors could be tart without much sugar, but none of them complained.

"At least you're getting fed," Mrs. MacGrady would tell passing students who made faces at the food. Her warm smile was gone, and some wondered if her cancer had returned. One look at her told the truth: She was a hungry woman busting her butt for seemingly ungrateful kids for minimum wage, and many doubted she was paid during the summer, which meant she'd have to ration her pantry and count the days until she could start work and get paid again.

In the teacher's lounge, it was a similar situation. Some brought their own creations from home. Miss Sweetwater and the other third grade teacher [A/N: that Zen dude, whatever his name was] traded recipes over the summer for bean recipes and other items, recipes they offered to share as Mr. Ratburn appeared with canned soup, which had changed to reflect the shortages in various markets.

Principal Haney was the worst of all, showing up with a container of straight up navy beans. He poured salt and pepper into the bowl when he was done microwaving it, but there was no making it any better. He wasn't content but no one asked if he wanted any recipes. They doubted he could cook it anyway, and they weren't about to offer him their own cooking skills. That too was against the new rules—you didn't cook for others anymore. You simply couldn't afford it.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

Arthur, DW, and Kate appeared in Thora's living room with David and Jane not far behind. They were going to have Sunday dinner with their beloved grandmother, but they were surprised to find her kitchen untouched when they arrived around four. Thora sat with a disgusted look on her face as the others got comfortable. Kate and Pal napped together in sunshine pouring down from a window while Arthur and DW sat in front of the television. When the adults thought they were distracted enough, they started talking.

"Thora, we sent you some money for food to help cover the cost. Did you receive it?" Jane asked.

Thora sighed heavily, "I told you not to do that," she said, snatching the envelope from the table beside her and handing it to Jane, still unopened. Thora continued, "I wasn't going to need a visit to the grocery store, but when I went outside to pick my vegetables this morning, someone had stolen everything, even the things that weren't ready yet!" she cried.

"Wow, Mom, did you call the cops?" David asked with a fearful tone, careful to keep his voice low despite the kids being close by.

"Of course I called the cops, David, not that they could do anything. It's been happening to everyone, they said. Next year, if I can even get seeds, I have to grow them in the house, potatoes and all. So I have leftovers, very few, but nothing more. I can't do this next week either. The kids can come over, but we eat our own food. Maybe you should come after lunch and leave before dinner."

"We can do that," Jane nodded, her voice barely above a whisper, "but…can you even get the seeds to grow your plants inside? Our stores were wiped out as novice gardeners appeared out of nowhere to try their skills."

"That's what happened here," Thora sighed. "I'm going to look through the shed for some extras when I get over being so darned mad. I just…I heard stories when I was a kid about the Great Depression and what people had to do for food. It was different then. Everyone grew things in the country where my people were from, so they made due. Now all of us get everything from the grocery store. Flour, butter, eggs—even the most basic staples all bought in a store. That's going to be our downfall. People are already starving to death. They can't afford food, and the government can only provide so much."

It was true. David heard the story on television of a young family found dead in their home. Their food stamps couldn't help them cover food costs, and they couldn't supplement the cost of food with their own money. So they bought games and other items to keep themselves and their young son entertained for two whole weeks. No one saw them, but they would talk on the phone. By the third week, that stopped. An officer arrived to check on them and found them all dead over a game of Sorry! They had starved to death, adults and child.

As food stamps stopped covering food costs and no other solution came available, they knew it would happen more and more. People were furious at the government, but the Read's knew it wasn't their fault. The world was facing this problem together, and other governments were having the same struggle. In fact, some governments were stealing from the food supply to keep themselves and their families alive while their citizens went hungry. At least things weren't that bad in America…yet.

After visiting Thora's house for a few hours, the Read's journeyed back home. As they passed, they saw a small protest outside a grocery store. Four young families picketed the front, their signs telling their story: No food stamps, no money, no food, and not enough money to bury them all. The kids just sat with their mouths shut, but David and Jane exchanged worried glances. People couldn't feed themselves, and people couldn't afford to bury their dead. What was this world about to come to?


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

David knew it was coming, as did Mrs. Powers, for the same reason. They worked in the food industry, and if the food industry wasn't providing, you were going to lose your job. As restaurant prices soared beyond the means of locals, waiters, cooks, and managers had the same problem. Their positions went first, but now it was their turn. Mrs. Powers closed her shop, leaving a sign on the door saying they were closed until all this could blow over. David just didn't go to work. His supervisor had already stopped coming in, and there was only so much they could piddle with. No one could afford groceries, let alone catered events, and you couldn't make money spending the days cleaning your equipment instead of using it.

Jane found it strange to have her husband around the house, but then she realized why he was there. He hadn't lost-lost his job, but he might as well have. Her paycheck would barely be enough to cover the mortgage, utilities, and a week of food. What were they supposed to do for the rest of the week?

This problem was ubiquitous. People could only ration their food so much, and while kids were given one meal a day at school (they had to stop providing breakfast to save cost and supplies), the adults only ate when they provided the food. Smaller portions spread the food further, as did skipping meals. But you couldn't eat one bean a day and survive. The news was filled with this problem—people were starving to death or they were protesting conditions wherever they thought the people who screwed them over were. Some people protested grocery stores, other the offices where food stamps and other government services were provided. But the largest groups gathered at federal buildings in Washington D.C. or at state offices in each capital.

David watched this news and wondered if that was even helping. Protesting wasn't growing more wheat for the world or stopping the bird flu that now kept both chickens and eggs from reaching homes and hungry people. Cows were still unable to produce milk, a problem that had spread into the goat's milk industry. Almond, cashew, and soy milk were currently immune from that problem, but the prices exploded as they became the only other choice. Prices were rising to meet the demand and compensate for the shortage. It was basic economics whether people were happy with it or not.

He thought of finding other jobs. That was everyone's solution that was in his shoes. But as they all found out, jobs were taking hits as more people flooded the market—again, basic economics. Just like with the food shortage, there weren't enough jobs for the number of people who needed them. So David resorted to trying to help Jane, and while he was allowed to glance over paperwork to check for accuracy, he was paid one dollar an hour. It felt like working for one of the kids' fake businesses, but David needed the money, so he did it despite how little he was making.

Mrs. Powers offered to help her husband's graphic design business, so she was hired on to clean the building for five dollars an hour. She could only work three hours a day, and the business was closed Fridays. That totaled out to fifteen dollars a day for four days, less than a hundred dollars a week. But as with David, it was money, money she needed to keep her family fed.

Others weren't so lucky. In the Compson household, the number of kids and lack of income put them on the brink of starvation. Mrs. Compson only ate one meal every other day, a system her husband adopted to give a little more to the kids. But they only ate dinner at home, and even then, they ate barely enough to fill a container lid. They were always hungry, and all of them were losing weight. Bud had a checkup at the beginning of the school year and had lost twenty pounds, something the doctor said nothing about. It was common, and the only advice was to limit physical movement so the body wouldn't burn as many calories.

But it was hard to keep kids from playing, from moving around, especially when they walked to school. Other families had the same problem, but the new times made this an issue to ignore. When your kid got sick and you couldn't afford medicine, that was the real problem. One meal a day and growling stomachs? Typical. Nothing to worry about.

The only families immune to this were the rich, and it showed. Muffy was shunned, as was Emily. Their classmates knew they were eating enough because they were the only ones who hadn't lost weight, and everyone knew it was because they were better off. Adults shunned other adults in this same situation for the same reason. Everyone learned that being ignored was something one could live with if you could get away with it. But things wouldn't stay so quiet.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

The news was all over every local television channel. Crosswire Motors was vandalized in the night by an angry group of protestors. Every window, side view mirror, and tire faced damage in the parking lot, and the building itself was nearly burned to the ground. The message was clearly spray painted all over the pavement: You eat better than us, and you deserve to pay for it.

People were dying every day now all over the country as people went without food. Though kids were back in school, that meant that many picked up colds and viruses from their classmates. Their weakened bodies couldn't handle it, so they fell victim to the illness. And like those protestors said, no one could afford funerals or burials. Bodies went unclaimed in the morgue, bodies of family members, because then the state would have to cover the cost. It was deplorable, but no one had a choice. That's just how the times were.

Because things weren't improving at a decent enough speed, everyone knew these incidents would continue, and while some optimists decided the protestors would stick to property damage, the pessimists and law enforcement officials knew things were going to escalate as everyone's hunger deepened and more people fell victim. Anger would push them over the edge to do things they never would have before, and these people, as dark as it sounds, were right. A week after Crosswire Motors was destroyed, Emily's father was assaulted outside of his own job. He was hospitalized for several days before passing away from his injuries.

As with the vandalism at Crosswire Motors, no suspects could be identified. As people used logic to examine the situation—there were plenty of security cameras and physical evidence at each scene—it was clear that the police intended to protest too. They were only making so much money themselves, and they all had family members to take care of. So why bring justice for a bunch of rich snobs who got what was coming to them? Besides, jails were in rough shape. Small rations twice a day every other day—that was the feeding schedule. While that might be more than what some criminals were getting at home, they knew to do more damning things to things that mattered. Burn down a house or rob a drug store, then you could get those limited meals and a cot.

No one saw anything wrong with this. People who stole food almost deserved death in this society, and people who harmed those who were rich enough to get fed were seen as heroes. Just as society shifted to not talk about food or stay in other people's houses during meal times, their morality compass shifted as well. Murder was okay when the rich were dead, even if that wouldn't feed your family. It was calming enough just to have one less well-fed person to look at, a therapy session for the whole town.

But just as no one blatantly talked about the rules—don't stay during meal times, don't discuss your own food, never offer your own food for anyone but family, etc.—no one said it was okay to kill the rich. No one said that's how things were now, that it was fine. No, they kept silent, just keeping their thoughts bottled up inside.

Brain and Arthur noticed this, just as every other kid did, in Elwood City and the world. The national and international news wasn't much better. Thousands dead in Europe, close to a million in China, and uncountable numbers in the Third World. Crimes against those with food took place in those places too. Public executions started up again in France as grocery stores were robbed by desperate people looking for a good meal. No one complained, but people took note of the darker way of things. And rather than be upset, they just shrugged it off.


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

As things were reaching their darkest in centuries, some positive stories began coming in—the FDA clearing some produce to enter the food supply in limited quantities, a vaccine for the bird flu strain from the CDC, as well as new disinfectant methods to allow milk back into the food supply. Months would pass before these changes would take effect, and thousands would starve during the wait.

Life was dark and miserable. Everyone was hungry and broke all the time. Hospitals saw terrible cases of people eating things that weren't food—paper, wood chips, sawdust, plastic, cloth, and even poison—just to fill themselves one more time. Death and starvation were just a part of life, but at least the rich retreated, staying at home to enjoy their surplus there instead of in front of everyone. The Crosswire's even fled to a vacation estate, which was discovered when the mansion burned to the ground but there was no one inside, and no food either.

As unemployment rates soared, people fought for what little they had. People tried growing plants in their windows that they could eat. Edible grasses became the new craze, and while it made some people feel like they were livestock, the grass kept the hunger at bay, and it definitely tasted better than beans, which were becoming more expensive as their supplies dwindled.

Gains were being made, but slower and slower. It took weeks, days in some people's minds, for the famine to take hold, but by many estimations, it would take years for the supply to recover and the economic impact to dissipate.

After a year, Elwood City finally felt normal. The Powers reopened their ice cream shop and David returned to work. Business was slow at first as small waves of shortages came and went for certain items. But milk was back, as were eggs and chicken. Meat became cheaper as the grain market recovered, and soon cereal and bread were okay again. People ate again, and they could afford to.

But so many people were lost. Bud Compson lost his life after catching a violent stomach bug. The family knew he likely wouldn't make it, so they refused to take him to a hospital, which they wouldn't be able to pay for anyway. He passed at home, surrounded by his family. They held a small service for him, wrote a note, pinned it to his shirt, and left him at a city park so they could cremate his body without cost. The note told them everything, but the cops refused to charge them. That was the way things were then—she shifted your moral compass to accommodate the times.

Now that the hardships were over, people were taken to hospitals and funerals were attempted, not that there were as many. People had dinner at each other's houses and discussed food again, and there were no hard feelings against the rich. The Crosswire's were able to return to the town without incident, though Emily's mother decided to move back to Europe with Emily to keep her from that world. It was understandable. Many people just couldn't cope with the things that happened during that time, and they were just a pair of those persons.

Slowly people forgot the ache of hunger, the pain of watching your neighbors shrivel away into nothing, the crimes that went ignored because they were now just. Thora was able to restart her garden outside the next growing season without feeling the need to hire an army to guard it, and others had the same plan. At-home gardens and chickens became the next big thing, a safeguard in case this happened again. People would be prepared if this happened again, and they would take care of each other. Famine wouldn't be a deadly problem, just a small hurdle, and people would be okay.

~End

A/N: For my new Disasters series. This is a little shorter than I wanted it to be, but I just didn't want to dwell on people starving to death. Is this even plausible? Maybe. I mean, we do keep hearing about problems with the food supply or other things all the time, but the only thing I ever felt resonance from was the egg shortage brought on by bird flu. Everything else was just water under the bridge, something I could ignore. Can you really ignore it when everything is out, you can't afford what little you can buy, or you lose your job? Probably not, so that's what I went with.

If you have any ideas, let me know. And if you write your own disaster piece, PM me about it so I can check it out.


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